2023
: "The world is in our hands. It's left to us, guys. And we gotta do something with it." : ― Steve Rogers This is a timeline of events that occurred during 2023. These events may have occurred differently, or not at all, due to the interference of Kang the Conqueror. 2023 March 29th * Five years have passed since the Decimation and Earth's remaining population has attempted to persevere against catastrophic losses. The scope of the losses has traumatised the world and has stagnated much of their progress. October 3rd * Steve Rogers, now a grief counsellor, runs a support group for the citizens of New York who are trying to cope with surviving the Decimation and their losses. Despite the destruction caused by Thanos, the world is slowly recovering and Rogers urges his support group to move on. * In a San Francisco storage unit, a rat inside Luis' Van walks into the panel's buttons and activates the Quantum Tunnel, causing Ant-Man to return from the Quantum Realm. After he is released with the help of a security guard, Scott Lang discovers the city is mostly abandoned. Fearful for his daughter, he checks a monument listing the victims of the Decimation, only to find his own name. Going to his ex-wife's house, Scott is greeted by a teenage Cassie Lang, who after being amazed that her father is still alive, hugs Scott. With Cassie's help, Scott crosses the country and goes to the Avengers Facility. 6th * Massacre in Mexico: Meanwhile in Mexico, a rogue Clint Barton, still distraught over the events of the Decimation, is engaging in vigilante activities. Barton continues his mission of killing criminals who survived the Decimation by heading to Mexico and eliciting the entire Mexican Cartel. 7th * While Rogers is at a meeting, Natasha Romanoff remains at the Avengers Compound. Concluding a meeting with her allies, which include Nebula, Okoye, Danvers, Rhodes, and Rocket, regarding the continued repercussions of The Decimation throughout the universe. * Following dismissal, Rhodes remains behind to give a status update regarding his teammate and her friend, Clint Barton who has been engaging vigilantes in Mexico. Rhodes suspects Barton is responsible for the deaths of multiple cartel members, which upsets Romanoff to hear the condition of her dear friend. Despite his apprehension, Romanoff pleads with Rhodes to continue tracking the rogue Barton. * Rogers enters the room and the two consul each other until Scott Lang arrives. * Once he is welcomed inside, he details about a discovery made at the Quantum Realm: given it operates on its own time and space rules, the Realm can be explored and exploited to effectively time travel, opening the possibility of finding a way to revert the Decimation. The trio, with limited knowledge about the Quantum Realm, then seek out Stark. 8th * As Tony Stark plays with his daughter Morgan in his isolated home, he discovers Morgan has gone into the garage and taken a helmet from something he had built for her mother, Pepper Potts. * Stark is enjoying the quality time with his daughter when the Avengers, consisting only of Rogers, Natasha, and Lang, arrive. Stark immediately understands the nature of their visit, but obliges their inquiry. When Lang proposes the idea of a "Time Heist", Stark quickly criticises the idea, fearing that altering the past could erase their very existence as it stands. * Stark just wants to put the past behind him and tells them he's finished with the Avengers. In response, Rogers, Romanoff, and Lang leave and meet with Bruce Banner at a restaurant. After the Decimation, and both Hulk's and Banner's defeat at the hands of Thanos, Banner restarted his research into gamma radiation and used it to morph his body to have the appearance and strength of the Hulk while retaining the intelligence and control of Banner. Despite his meagre knowledge of quantum physics, Banner agrees to help them experiment with the idea. * After seeing a picture of himself with Spider-Man, Tony uses F.R.I.D.A.Y. to run different configurations for a time machine. Despite hoping that he would fail, he discovers the key to it, solving how to navigate the time-travel stream using a Möbius strip design. * After having done so, he discusses with Pepper about the morality of time travel and about what he should do with his latest discovery: whether he should lock it up in a box and throw it into the bottom of the lake or not. He feels that he and Pepper were lucky that they were both spared and now have made an amazing life together, but he can't deny that everyone around them has suffered unimaginable horrors and should be helped. Pepper encourages him to do what is right. 9th * At the Avengers Compound, Banner, Rogers, and Romanoff run an experiment with time travel by trying to send Lang back in time. It only works to the point that they send Scott's body back in time, turning him into a kid and then an old man and finally a baby before only just managing to restore him to normal. Rogers contemplates outside of the building about what to do next. * Tony, having a change of heart, returns to the Avengers Facility just as the first test using Scott goes wrong, in a way Stark later explains as "instead going through time, time went through Scott", making him turn into a child, an elder and a baby prior to his regular self. He then asks if the "whole team" are getting back together. Rogers tell him they're still working on gathering everyone who's available together. * Tony tells Rogers that he's agreeing to help on the condition that trying to reverse what Thanos did won't reset what has happened since, as he doesn't want to lose his daughter. Rogers agrees that's how it should be. The two men finally put their differences behind them, and Stark returns Roger's shield to him. 10th * Banner and Rocket head to Tønsberg, Norway which is now home to the few Asgardians who are left. They meet up with Valkyrie, who tells them Thor is not doing well. Thor is revealed to have sunk into a depression following his failures; he has gained considerable weight, become an alcoholic, and spends much of his time playing video games with Korg and Miek. * Although Thor tries to put on a carefree attitude, he nearly breaks down upon Thanos' name being mentioned. However, Banner and Rocket convince Thor to help them in time travelling back in the past to find the Infinity Stones by offering him beer. 11th * Massacre in Tokyo: Ronin finds a Japanese Yakuza leader and has tracked him down to his stronghold. Here, the radicalised Clint kills every last one of the Yakuza, including their leader, Akihiko. Also present on the scene is Romanoff who approaches Barton in an attempt to recruit him and help her friend. With renewed hope, Barton rejoins the Avengers and he and Nathasha return to Avenger's headquarters. 13th * At the Avengers Facility, Banner and Stark have completed construction of their own Quantum Tunnel and Advanced Tech Suits and are preparing for tests. Believing himself to be expendable, Barton volunteers for the first time travel test and is transported to a time period on his farm before the Decimation. With disbelief and hope, he calls out to his daughter but is brought back to the present before she sees him. * With the test proven a success, the Avengers proceed with the next phase of preparation which is to determine the location of each Infinity Stone in the past. While the team discusses strategy, Rhodes argues the suggestion of travelling back in time to kill 'Baby Thanos' to which Banner explains that altering events in the past will not alter the present but will instead create an alternate universe; leaving the only feasible course of action of acquiring the Infinity Stones to restore everyone in the present time. * This presents a challenge as they possess a scarce supply of Pym Particles to operate with and no means of replenishing them with Hank Pym, the creator, being one of the causalities of the Decimation, effectively limiting their travel to a few trips. 14th * As the team discuss their past encounters with the Infinity Stones, they manage to recall the placement of each Infinity Stone in time. They spend the next couple of days formulating specific plans and pinpointing exact times and locations. 15th * Tony Stark records a message for his family for after the Time Heist. 16th * Time Heist: After extensive group discussions, the Avengers decides to go back in time to retrieve the six Infinity Stones and use the combined set to undo the damage they had done. They are split into three groups: Scott, Steve, Bruce and Tony head for 2012 New York City, as both the Space and Mind Stones were involved in the Battle of New York, and the Time Stone is at the Sanctum Santorum; Thor and Rocket head for 2013 Asgard, where the Reality Stone was prior to the Dark Elves' arrival; and Clint, Natasha, Rhodey and Nebula head for planet Morag in 2014, with the former two leaving on the Benatar (which had been carried back miniaturised) to get the Soul Stone on Vormir, and the others staying to get the Power Stone before Star-Lord does so. * Minutes after leaving, the Avengers return, with one exception: Natasha, who took upon herself to be the necessary sacrifice that summons the Soul Stone. Unbeknownst to the others, Nebula was actually the 2014 version with intense loyalty to Thanos, who intercepted her time traveller self back in the past. * The original Avengers commemorate Natasha's life at the lake, with Banner throwing a bench into the water. They accept that reversing the Decimation will not bring everyone that didn't die at the hands of Thanos back. Tony, Rocket, and Bruce proceed with designing their own gauntlet, the Iron Gauntlet. 17th * Reversal of the Decimation: ** Rocket asked who was going to be the one to reverse the Decimation. Thor is ready to do it himself, but the others argue that using the gauntlet at full power unleashes a burst of gamma radiation that would kill most living beings; even Thanos barely survived using it. Banner decides to reverse the Decimation himself, as he is the only one who could withstand the gamma radiation and has a higher chance of surviving. ** Banner puts the gauntlet on and it causes him intense pain as the energy from the stones surges through him, but eventually, he manages to snap his fingers. Banner suffers major damage to his right arm and shoulder but believes he was successful in restoring the universe's population. This is proven true when Scott Lang observes the nature and Laura Barton calls Clint. * Attack on the Avengers Compound: ** While the other Avengers concluded their mission, 2014 Nebula activates the Quantum Tunnel to allow Thanos and his army to arrive in the present day. The vessel then fired all its weapons on the headquarters, destroying it and the time machine, though all the Avengers survive. ** After destroying the facility with the Sanctuary II's weapons, he unleashes his army of Chitauri, Outriders and more which are being led by Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, and Cull Obsidian. Aboard the Sanctuary II, Gamora asks the future Nebula what happened between them. Nebula admits that she was determined to kill Gamora at one point, but the two eventually formed a bond as sisters and as friends. Ultimately, Gamora is convinced to turn on Thanos and frees Nebula. ** In the rubble, the Avengers are separated, with Thor, Rogers, and Stark resolving to stop Thanos. Barton finds the Gauntlet, and fights to keep the Outriders from taking it before past Nebula arrives and tricks him into handing over the gauntlet. Before past Nebula can leave, Gamora and the future Nebula intercept her. Although they attempt to convince her to leave Thanos, she refuses, and Nebula is forced to kill her past self. ** Following 2014 Thanos destroying the Avengers Facility, he thinks over his future self's victory and the Avengers' plan, deciding he will wipe away the universe to be the god of the next to supplant it. This leads into a fight with Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Using a Mjolnir that Thor brought back from 2013, Rogers is able to one up Thanos for a time, until the latter gets a foothold and uses his sword to cleave Cap's shield in two. ** While his previous conquests have been detached of emotion, Thanos mentions he will enjoy erasing Earth, calling forth the full of his armies. Steve Rogers, still resolute, restraps what remains of his shield, and walks to confront Thanos and the Black Order. * Battle of Earth: ** Following the Reversal of the Decimation, Doctor Strange used his Sling Ring to open numerous portals, transporting the previously resurrected heroes, including Falcon, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Shuri, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Drax, Groot, Wasp, Star-Lord, Mantis and Winter Soldier. Pepper Potts joins the fight in her own armoured suit along with Valkyrie, Okoye, Korg and Miek. They lead the forces of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Dora Milaje, the Wakandan Army, Ravagers, Defenders, and Asgardians in the Battle of Earth. ** In the midst of the battle, the newly assembled Avengers manage keep the Gauntlet away from Thanos and his forces with objective of sending the Infinity Stones back to their proper time. However, with the Avengers' Quantum Tunnel being destroyed along with the Avengers' facility, their alternative is to use the one housed in Luis' van, which is behind enemy lines. ** The Avengers' forces manage to gain the upperhand, and even restrain Thanos, momentarily until he orders the Sanctuary II to fire upon the battlefield. As Thanos orders an air strike, Captain Marvel returns to provide an assist, destroying the Sanctuary II, and pushes back the enemy forces. ** The Avengers continue to trade possession of the Infinity Gauntlet among each other, all the while evading Thanos as they proceed towards the van. Just within reach of their goal, Thanos destroys the Quantum Tunnel device and secures the gauntlet for himself. Strange reminds Stark of their earlier discussion as the Avengers swarm Thanos, whose attempting to activate the Infinity Stones. ** With the last Avenger defeated, Stark leaps at Thanos and tussles with him before being thrown off. The Mad Titan revels in his supposed victory before snapping his fingers, but nothing happens. Thanos realises the Infinity Stones are missing, as his attention turns to Stark who is in possession of the stones with his nanotech suit constructing a new gauntlet around them. Stark retorts his nemesis previous statement before snapping his fingers. Thanos witnesses his entire army turn to dust, and accepts defeat before he himself finally crumbles in the wind. * The devastating force of the snap charred the right side of Stark's face and body, and he collapsed among the debris of the Avengers Headquarters. The physical toll from the Gamma Radiation from the Infinity Stones surging into his body, was too much for him to endure. As he could only utter Pepper Potts' name in what would turn out to be his last words. Pepper assures him she and Morgan will be fine and tells him he can finally rest. Stark dies peacefully, surrounded by Potts, War Machine and Spider-Man, with Thor and Captain America looking on, all devastated and honoured by his sacrifice. 20th * With the universe restored, the heroes reunite with their families and friends. Tony's funeral is held outside his home, where a goodbye message he recorded the night before the Avengers travelled through time, finishing with the hologram of him walking right up to his daughter, Morgan, and saying that he "loves her three-thousand", echoing a scene earlier in the film where Morgan originally says that line to him before bed. * A service is then held with all the Avengers in attendance, including other important individuals including Happy Hogan, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Thaddeus Ross, May Parker, the Pyms, and even Harley Keener, as they all recognise the sacrifice that Tony made to save them and the universe. * Barton and Wanda comfort each other by the lake after the funeral, both suffering from their own losses. Barton expresses that he wishes Natasha could know that they won. Wanda thus assures him that she does know, as does Vision, who was still lost in the conflict. * After the service ends, Thor returns to New Asgard. In search of his new calling, Thor joins the Guardians of the Galaxy, proclaiming Valkyrie to be the new Queen of New Asgard. * On the Benatar, Quill can be seen looking for Gamora. Quill and Thor have a quick argument, as everyone else presumes Thor will be captain now, and Drax suggests they have a ritual knife fight to the death for the position of captain, an idea which gets everyone else's approval. Although Thor reassures them that Quill is still the captain, the sly look on his face indicates that he still believes otherwise. 21st * Steve Rogers is nominated by Bruce Banner to return the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir to their proper places in time. He bids farewell to Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson and then disappears. They send him into the past with all the Stones, but he does not return on the expected count of five. * Instead, Rogers travels back to the 1940s and decides to stay in that period and spending the rest of his life with Peggy Carter. After a failed attempt by Bruce Banner to bring him back, they notice an elderly Rogers, sitting alone on a bench by the river. Wilson walks over and talks to Rogers, who says he had decided to stay in the past. * Wilson accepts this, but muses sadly that he will have to live in a world without Captain America. Rogers then passes his shield and the mantle of Captain America to Wilson, saying that he should take it, despite Wilson's protests. As they shake hands and say their goodbyes, Wilson notices a ring on Rogers' left hand, and asks if he'll tell him about her, but Rogers politely refuses. 22nd * Following the Avengers' victory, Wakanda held a celebration for the return of many victims of Thanos' Decimation, including their royal family. The capital city was aglow with lights, festival music, and people filling the streets with cheer. 27th * Nick Fury and Maria Hill go off-world, taking control of Talos' Command Ship. * Under Fury's orders, the Skrulls Talos and Soren travel to Earth and pose as Fury and Hill, respectively, and carry out their duties. 28th * Accommodating the students resurrected by Bruce Banner, the Midtown School of Science and Technology restarts its academic year, making their credits from 2018 invalid. * Peter Parker reunites with Ned Leeds once returning to school following the Battle of Earth. Category:Timeline